The present invention generally relates to a coin separator usable for an automatic vending machine, a coin exchanger, an amusement machine or the like and more particularly to an improvement relating to a coin separator for separating coins and introducing the separated coins into coin passages allocated in accordance with the kind of coins.
In general, a coin selecting apparatus includes a primary selecting unit for discriminating whether coins inserted through a coin insert slit are true or false and introducing the selected true coins and false coins separately into predetermined coin passages and a coin separator for separating the selected true coins in accordance with the kind of coins and introducing them separately into predetermined coin passages.
Specifically, the conventional coin separator for separating primarily selected true coins in accordance with the kind of coins is so constructed that an inclined rail is used for transfering the coins thereon and the coins moving on the inclined rail are then introduced into separate coin passages allocated in accordance with a difference in diameter among the transferred coins. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional coin separator of the above-mentioned type and the coin separator for separating two kinds of coins A and B having larger and smaller diameters, M and O, respectively, one from another is represented by reference numeral 1.
The coin separator 1 includes a first coin passage 3 serving as coin guiding means which is formed in a sub-plate 2 adapted to cover a main plate of a coin selecting apparatus which is not shown in the drawing. The first coin passage 3 is composed of an inclined rail 4 on which coins are transferred while rolling thereon, a first inclined wall 5 inclined by a predetermined angle relative to the vertical plane extending in the direction of transference of coins, and a second inclined wall 6 formed upstream of the first inclined wall 5 in an inclined state by a predetermined angle more than the first-mentioned predetermined angle of the first inclined wall 5 relative to the vertical plane extending of transference of coins. The height L of the first inclined wall 5 is determined appreciably larger than the diameter M of a coin A having a larger diameter (L&gt;M) and the height N of the second inclined wall 6 is determined appreciably larger than the diamter O of a coin B having a smaller diameter and smaller than the diameter M of a coin A having a larger diameter (O&lt;N&lt;M). On the other hand, the downstream end 4a of the inclined rail 4 is exposed to the upstream end 7a of a second coin passage 7 which extends downwardly in the vertical direction and through which a coin A having a larger diameter is introduced, while a third coin passage 8 through which a coin B having a smaller diameter is introduced in the vertical direction is provided in an area located sidewards of the inclined wall 4 in the proximity of the downstream end 6b of the second inclined wall 6 in such a manner that the upstream end 8a of the third coin passage 8 is communicated with the interior of the first coin passage 3. Further, the main plate (not shown) adapted to cover the sub-plate 2 is formed with a projected wall 9 serving as first coin posture changing means on the upstream side of the first coin passage 3 so as to tilt toward the inclined walls 5 and 6 a coin which is passing through the interior of the first coin passage 3.
When a coin A having a larger diameter is introduced into the first coin passage 3 in the conventional coin separator 1 as constructed in the above-described manner, it is tilted toward the inclined walls 5 and 6 due to the presence of the projected wall 9. Since the diameter M of the coin A is dimensioned larger than the height N of the second inclined wall 6, the coin B comes in contact with the upper edge 5a of the first inclined wall 5 and it is then transferred to the downstream side of the inclined rail 4 while maintaining the foregoing state until it is introduced into the second coin passage 7. Further, when the coin B having a smaller diameter is introduced into the first coin passage 3, it is likewise tilted toward the first and second inclined walls 5 and 6 due to the presence of the projected wall 9. At this moment, since the diameter O of the coin B is dimensioned smaller than the height N of the second inclined wall 6, it is tilted directly toward the inclined surface 6a of the second inclined wall 6 to come in contact therewith and it is then transferred along the surface of the second inclined wall 6 toward the downstream end 6b of the same while maintaining the foregoing state. Thereafter, the coin B abuts against a triangular wall 10 which is defined by the downstream end 6b of the second inclined wall 6 and the first inclined wall 5 whereby movement of the coin B is interrupted. Once movement of the coin B having a smaller diameter O in the direction downstream of the inclined rail 4 is interrupted, the coin B is allowed to slide toward the upstream end 8a of the third coin passage 3 under the effect of a component of its dead weight active along the inclined surface 6a of the second inclined wall 6 until it is introduced into the third coin passage 8.
As shown in FIG. 2 which is a cross-sectional view of the conventional coin separator 1, when the coin B having a smaller diameter O is introduced into the first coin passage 3, it is tilted toward the second inclined wall 6 due to the presence of the projected wall 9 which is formed on the main plate 11 and comes in contact with the inclined surface 6a of the inclined wall 6. As will be apparent from FIG. 3 which is a sectional view of the coin separator 1 taken in line C--C in FIG. 2, when the coin B is brought in contact with the inclined surface 6a of the inclined wall 6, it tends to be sprung back under the effect of reaction force developed on the inclined surface 6a, causing it to be raised up again from the inclined state as represented by an arrow mark F. Thus, it is incorrectly transferred further on the inclined rail 4 without an occurence of abutting against the triangular wall 10 and thereby it is introduced into the second coin passage 7 by mistake.